Domain tasting

[ryanhellyer]

Have any of you heard of domain tasting before?

It seems to be a new problem with certain domain name registrars 'tasting' any domains which you search on their site for five days. This prevents you from registering your domain with anybody but them for those five days. This seems highly immoral to me as I may be looking at their site and use their domain name finder briefly before trying to register the domain name elsewhere. Effectively they're holding your domain to ransom.

This explains a problem I had recently. I looked up a domain on one domain name registrar (can't remember which unfortunately) then went to register it the next day at godaddy, however I then discovered it was taken, so I registered a different domain. However a month later I realised the domain I was after was in fact available. I was very confused! I'm assuming this was a failed attempt to scam me into purchasing the domain from the first site, but it didn't work and that domain name is still available today.

[Ducani]

I heard about something like this before and actually a friend of mine who is back in college studying IMD said her professor told them not to do domain searches at the registrars as they sometimes track domains that have high searches and then register them themselves and sell them back at a higher price. I dont know how true it is though.

Re: 'Tasting' that does seem very unethical and I would hate to think that companies are stooping so low. I only use one registrar so it actually wouldnt affect me but I still hate seeing co.s pulling out devious methods to get ahead.

[BigAlReturns]

I heard about this recently - can't remember which registrar but if I see it again I'll name and shame them here! I'm pretty certain it's against the "rules" (ICANN rules maybe?) that govern registrars, so if you experience a company doing this then report them and they won't be doing it much longer!

[BigAlReturns]

Remembered where I saw it! The company is Network Solutions, and you can read a full story here.

[ryanhellyer]

Originally Posted by BigAlReturns

I'm pretty certain it's against the "rules" (ICANN rules maybe?) that govern registrars, so if you experience a company doing this then report them and they won't be doing it much longer!

AFAIK, it is allowed, but some TLD's (top level domain's) charge a small fee for 'tasting' the domains. Perhaps all TLD's will have a charge eventually, but not at the moment. Or at least that's what I've heard (note this was not from a particularly reliable source).